raz lu26 secretservice

The Secret Service

LEVELED BOOK • U

A Reading A–Z Level U Leveled Book
Word Count: 1,579

The Secret
Service
Written by John Perritano

Visit www.readinga-z.com
for thousands of books and materials.

www.readinga-z.com


The Secret
Service

Written by John Perritano
www.readinga-z.com


Table of Contents
Introduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4
President of the People . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7
Life in a Cage . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9
A “Slave of His Office” . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12
On Guard . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14
Family Affair . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18

Shades and Sleeves . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20
Danger Is Their Business . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21
Glossary . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24
The Secret Service • Level U

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The Obamas walk to the White House on Inauguration Day 2009.

Introduction
All eyes were on Washington D.C.’s newest
couple—the Obamas. It was January 21, 2009.
Barack Obama had just been sworn in as the first
African-American president of the United States.

Table of Contents
Introduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4
President of the People . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7
Life in a Cage . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9
A “Slave of His Office” . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12
On Guard . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14
Family Affair . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18
Shades and Sleeves . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20
Danger Is Their Business . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21
Glossary . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24
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The new president smiled as he walked down
Pennsylvania Avenue to the White House. He
held hands with the First Lady, Michelle Obama.
The couple waved to the cheering crowd. Nearby,
groups of men and women dressed in dark suits,
some wearing sunglasses, moved along with the
couple. Unlike most people in the crowd, these
individuals were not looking at the new president
and First Lady. Instead, their eyes were searching
the crowd of people lining the street, looking for
any hint of danger. These men and women were
agents of the U.S. Secret Service.

4


Even though it was freezing cold outside, the
agents had their suit jackets open and their hands
close to their hidden weapons. They had sworn
an oath to protect the president and had been
planning for Inauguration Day for months. The
agents left nothing to chance. They had blocked
many of Washington’s streets and added security
checkpoints. Soldiers kept careful watch from the
tops of buildings. Fighter jets circled overhead.
Boats patrolled the Potomac River.

Secret Service agents closed off the streets to provide security during the
Obama inauguration.

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Even though it was freezing cold outside, the
agents had their suit jackets open and their hands
close to their hidden weapons. They had sworn
an oath to protect the president and had been
planning for Inauguration Day for months. The
agents left nothing to chance. They had blocked
many of Washington’s streets and added security
checkpoints. Soldiers kept careful watch from the
tops of buildings. Fighter jets circled overhead.
Boats patrolled the Potomac River.

The door of “The Beast” reveals its thick armor.

Agents even built the president a new car,
which they nicknamed “The Beast.” It looked
like a black limousine, but it was really a tank. Its
eight inches of armor could protect the Obamas
from just about anything.
All day, agents stuck close to the first couple as
the Obamas made their way from the inaugural
parade to dances and balls. Nothing bad
happened. That’s the way it was supposed to be.
The planning and hard work of the Secret Service
had paid off. It was all in a day’s work.

Secret Service agents closed off the streets to provide security during the
Obama inauguration.

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6


President of the People
If Thomas Jefferson, John Adams, and Andrew
Jackson had been alive in 2009, they would have
been shocked. In their day, only rulers of foreign
countries—not the president of the United
States—had bodyguards. In fact, the door to the
White House was rarely locked. Anyone could
pop in, and many did just that. In the early days
of the United States, people came by to chat or
to share a cup of tea with the First Lady and
president. Others came looking for a job or
a special favor.

This engraving from around 1850 shows how the White House used to be
open to the general public. Today, an iron fence surrounds the building.

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President of the People
If Thomas Jefferson, John Adams, and Andrew
Jackson had been alive in 2009, they would have
been shocked. In their day, only rulers of foreign
countries—not the president of the United
States—had bodyguards. In fact, the door to the
White House was rarely locked. Anyone could
pop in, and many did just that. In the early days
of the United States, people came by to chat or
to share a cup of tea with the First Lady and
president. Others came looking for a job or
a special favor.

President George W. Bush greets local people at a diner in Crawford, Texas,
in 2004.

Why were these early presidents so easy to
meet with? The United States was founded as
a democracy. Americans didn’t want to be ruled
by a king or queen who just happened to be born
into a royal family. Instead, Americans wanted
to choose their own leaders through elections.
Presidents had to listen to the wishes of voters
if they wanted to keep their jobs.
For their part, Jefferson, Adams, and others
made time to meet the people who voted them
into office. They were happy to talk, shake hands,
and hear what people were thinking. They
wanted to be seen as just like everyone else.

As the nation grew, so did the threats against
the president’s life. It became difficult to allow
people to freely meet with the president while
also making sure the nation’s leader was kept
safe. Something needed to be done.

This engraving from around 1850 shows how the White House used to be
open to the general public. Today, an iron fence surrounds the building.

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8


Allan Pinkerton (seated at left) led the Union Intelligence Service during
the Civil War. His agents laid the groundwork for the U.S. Secret Service.

Life in a Cage
Congress formed the Secret Service in 1865,
but at first its job wasn’t to protect the president.
Instead, Congress wanted the Secret Service
to track down and arrest people for printing
fake money—a crime called counterfeiting. At
the time, nearly half the paper money in the
United States was fake. The agency got its name
because it worked in secret to find and catch
counterfeiters.
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The Secret Service began its work three
months after Abraham Lincoln was assassinated.
Lincoln was president during the Civil War
(1861–1865). At the time, many Southern states
wanted to leave the Union. The capital city of
Washington was full of thieves and plotters.
Many people wanted Lincoln dead. Some tried to
kidnap him. Others took shots at him. A musket
ball knocked Lincoln’s hat off his head one day
when he was riding a horse along a country road.

Allan Pinkerton (seated at left) led the Union Intelligence Service during
the Civil War. His agents laid the groundwork for the U.S. Secret Service.

Life in a Cage
Congress formed the Secret Service in 1865,
but at first its job wasn’t to protect the president.
Instead, Congress wanted the Secret Service
to track down and arrest people for printing
fake money—a crime called counterfeiting. At
the time, nearly half the paper money in the
United States was fake. The agency got its name
because it worked in secret to find and catch
counterfeiters.
The Secret Service • Level U

Abraham Lincoln spent his summers at a cottage on the edge of
Washington, D.C., and often rode his horse three miles to the White House.

9

10


Still, Lincoln refused any protection. He took
walks alone at night to the War Department. He
wanted news of the war. “Though it would be
safer for a president to live in a cage, it would
interfere with his business,” he said.
Late in the war, Lincoln finally agreed to allow
Washington police officers to follow him. Only
one bodyguard was on duty when John Wilkes
Booth shot Lincoln on April 14, 1865, at Ford’s
Theatre in Washington.

Lincoln was seated in this box at Ford’s Theatre when he was fatally shot by
John Wilkes Booth.

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Still, Lincoln refused any protection. He took
walks alone at night to the War Department. He
wanted news of the war. “Though it would be

safer for a president to live in a cage, it would
interfere with his business,” he said.
Late in the war, Lincoln finally agreed to allow
Washington police officers to follow him. Only
one bodyguard was on duty when John Wilkes
Booth shot Lincoln on April 14, 1865, at Ford’s
Theatre in Washington.

James Garfield was president for only two hundred days before his
assassination rocked the nation.

A “Slave of His Office”
Even after Lincoln’s assassination, it took
some time for the government to decide whose
job it was to protect the president. Sometimes the
U.S. Army guarded the president. Other times,
it was the Washington, D.C., police department.

Lincoln was seated in this box at Ford’s Theatre when he was fatally shot by
John Wilkes Booth.

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Not much changed even after President James
A. Garfield died on the morning of July 2, 1881,
after being shot by a man at a Washington train
station. The man had met Garfield earlier at the
White House. He asked the president for a job.

Garfield said no.

12


The assassination of a second U.S. president
shocked the nation. The New York Tribune,
a leading newspaper of the day, warned against
presidential bodyguards. The newspaper said
guards would make the president a “slave of
his office.”
The next president, Chester A. Arthur, refused
to be followed by the Secret Service, although
agents tried. Like earlier presidents, Arthur
wanted citizens to be able to freely meet with him.
In 1901, President William McKinley was
assassinated in Buffalo, New York. Afterward,
Congress asked the Secret Service to protect all
future presidents.

William McKinley delivers a speech during his presidential inauguration.

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On Guard

The assassination of a second U.S. president

shocked the nation. The New York Tribune,
a leading newspaper of the day, warned against
presidential bodyguards. The newspaper said
guards would make the president a “slave of
his office.”
The next president, Chester A. Arthur, refused
to be followed by the Secret Service, although
agents tried. Like earlier presidents, Arthur
wanted citizens to be able to freely meet with him.

The headquarters of the Secret Service is
a plain office building not far from the White
House. On the ninth floor, agents work quickly
to keep track of the people they are protecting.
Besides protecting the president, the Secret
Service also guards presidential candidates,
officials from other countries, the vice president,
and others.

In 1901, President William McKinley was
assassinated in Buffalo, New York. Afterward,
Congress asked the Secret Service to protect all
future presidents.

A Secret Service agent guards presidential candidate Mitt Romney at
a campaign event in Miami, Florida, on August 13, 2012.

William McKinley delivers a speech during his presidential inauguration.

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14


A Secret Service agent stands guard at a football stadium.

The agency also gives protection at special
events, including the Olympic Games and the
Super Bowl. Every day, the Secret Service learns
of new threats against the people they are
protecting, including the president. The threats
can come over the telephone, in the mail, or over
the Internet.
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Important Dates in Secret Service History
1865
Congress creates the Secret
Service Division on July 5 to battle
counterfeiting of U.S. currency. The
agency is part of the U.S. Treasury
Department.

1867

U.S. currency from the Civil
War era

Congress increases the power of the Secret Service to investigate
“frauds against the government,” such as land swindles.

1901
Congress requests that the Secret Service begin protecting presidents
following the assassination of President William McKinley.

1915
President Woodrow Wilson directs the Secret Service
to investigate foreign spies in the United States.

1922
Congress forms the White House Police to guard
the building.

Woodrow Wilson

1951
The Secret Service begins protecting the president’s
family.

A Secret Service agent stands guard at a football stadium.

The agency also gives protection at special
events, including the Olympic Games and the
Super Bowl. Every day, the Secret Service learns
of new threats against the people they are

protecting, including the president. The threats
can come over the telephone, in the mail, or over
the Internet.
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1965
Congress allows the Secret Service to protect former
presidents and their spouses.

2002
The Secret Service becomes part of the Department Jacqueline and
of Homeland Security following the terrorist attacks Caroline Kennedy
of September 11, 2001.

16


A Secret Service agent greets a Chicago police officer while on assignment.

Agents take every threat seriously and
investigate it. Sometimes agents meet with
the person who made the threat to ask them
questions. Most of the threats are not serious.
Sometimes people make a threat but don’t really
plan to hurt anyone.
Some threats, though, are very serious. Agents
keep careful watch on people who might really
try to follow through on their threat.

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Family Affair
The Secret Service rarely leaves the president’s
side. They are there, whether the president is on
vacation, playing golf, or meeting with foreign
leaders. Teams of agents follow the president’s
every move. They also stick close to the first
family. Their presence can sometimes cause
problems, especially for the president’s children.

A Secret Service agent greets a Chicago police officer while on assignment.

It can be difficult to be a child of the president.
Their every move is watched. They can’t go to the
mall whenever they wish like other children or go
to their friend’s house after school. If they do, the
Secret Service has to be nearby. Sometimes kids
rebel. Theodore Roosevelt had six children. One
son, Quentin, climbed onto the roof of the White
House and threw snowballs at Secret Service
agents.

Agents take every threat seriously and
investigate it. Sometimes agents meet with
the person who made the threat to ask them
questions. Most of the threats are not serious.

Sometimes people make a threat but don’t really
plan to hurt anyone.
Some threats, though, are very serious. Agents
keep careful watch on people who might really
try to follow through on their threat.
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Archie and Quentin, sons of President Theodore Roosevelt, pose for a photo
with White House police officers.

18


Barbara and Jenna Bush sometimes grew tired of Secret Service protection.

Barbara and Jenna Bush, the twin daughters
of President George W. Bush, just wanted to be
normal teenagers. They were upset that they
couldn’t take a walk or go shopping without
agents following them. Jenna once snuck out
of the White House to escape her security team.
First Ladies also often get tired of having armed
guards following their every move. “We love
them dearly and they do a great job,” says
Michelle Obama. She also says that sometimes
she would like to “sneak out” and “walk out the
front door” without them.
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Shades and Sleeves
It’s not hard to spot a Secret Service agent. Just
look for the man or woman wearing sunglasses.
The glasses allow the agent to see what people
in a crowd are doing, even in bright sunlight.
Agents also wear a tiny speaker in their ear.
That’s because the Secret Service has its own
communication system. The speaker allows
agents to hear directions from a special command
unit. Agents often look as if they are whispering
words into the sleeve of their clothing. Inside the
sleeve is a tiny microphone that allows agents to
talk to one another.
Barbara and Jenna Bush sometimes grew tired of Secret Service protection.

Barbara and Jenna Bush, the twin daughters
of President George W. Bush, just wanted to be
normal teenagers. They were upset that they
couldn’t take a walk or go shopping without
agents following them. Jenna once snuck out
of the White House to escape her security team.
First Ladies also often get tired of having armed
guards following their every move. “We love
them dearly and they do a great job,” says
Michelle Obama. She also says that sometimes
she would like to “sneak out” and “walk out the

front door” without them.
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Sunglasses and communications earpieces are often worn by agents on duty.

20


President Ronald Reagan waves to the crowd just moments before being
shot on March 30, 1981.

Danger Is Their Business
President Ronald Reagan was leaving a
Washington, D.C., hotel after giving a speech.
Pop! Pop! Pop! Someone was firing a pistol. Agent
Timothy McCarthy quickly responded. He used
his body to shield Reagan from the shooter.
McCarthy was struck by a bullet. He later
recovered from his wounds. Another agent,
Dennis McCarthy, grabbed the attacker and
stopped the shooting.
Although he was wounded, Reagan survived
the attack. “I forgot to duck,” he famously said.
Still, President Reagan’s close call shows the
dangers that Secret Service agents face.
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President Ronald Reagan waves to the crowd just moments before being
shot on March 30, 1981.

Danger Is Their Business
President Ronald Reagan was leaving a
Washington, D.C., hotel after giving a speech.
Pop! Pop! Pop! Someone was firing a pistol. Agent
Timothy McCarthy quickly responded. He used
his body to shield Reagan from the shooter.
McCarthy was struck by a bullet. He later
recovered from his wounds. Another agent,
Dennis McCarthy, grabbed the attacker and
stopped the shooting.
Although he was wounded, Reagan survived
the attack. “I forgot to duck,” he famously said.
Still, President Reagan’s close call shows the
dangers that Secret Service agents face.
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President Barack Obama is flanked by agents after flying to Tampa, Florida,
aboard Air Force One.

Why do Secret Service agents keep doing their
job if it is so dangerous? It’s more than a job. By
protecting the president, agents are serving their
country. The death of a president can change the

course of history. That’s why thirty-five Secret
Service agents, officers, and other agency workers
have given their lives in the line of duty.
Secret Service agents are trained to “take a
bullet” for the president. As long as there are
people willing to harm America’s elected leader,
there will be Secret Service agents sworn to stop
them.

22


Code Names
Every president in
modern times has had
one. Bill Clinton’s was
“Eagle.” Ronald Reagan
went by “Rawhide.”
John F. Kennedy’s was
“Lancer.” Actually, every
person the Secret Service
protects gets a code
name. It allows agents
to avoid mixing up the
names of people they
are protecting. It’s also
Ronald “Rawhide” Reagan
a good way to keep the
subject of the agents’ conversations a secret.
Where do code names come from? President Reagan

was an actor who starred in many Western movies.
“Rawhide” is an old Western term for the animal skins
worn by Native Americans and cowboys. Reagan’s wife,
Nancy, went by “Rainbow” because she often wore brightly
colored clothes. Vice President Dick Cheney loved to fish. He
went by the code name “Angler,” which is another word for
a fisherman.
Even people whom the Secret Service does not
protect get names. The singer Frank Sinatra was a friend
of President Kennedy. The Secret Service called him
“Napoleon,” after the French general.
As for President Obama, his code name is “Renegade,”
and the First Lady is “Renaissance.” Their daughters, Malia
and Sasha, are “Radiance” and “Rosebud.”

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Glossary

Code Names
Every president in
modern times has had
one. Bill Clinton’s was
“Eagle.” Ronald Reagan
went by “Rawhide.”
John F. Kennedy’s was
“Lancer.” Actually, every

person the Secret Service
protects gets a code
name. It allows agents
to avoid mixing up the
names of people they
are protecting. It’s also
Ronald “Rawhide” Reagan
a good way to keep the
subject of the agents’ conversations a secret.
Where do code names come from? President Reagan
was an actor who starred in many Western movies.
“Rawhide” is an old Western term for the animal skins
worn by Native Americans and cowboys. Reagan’s wife,
Nancy, went by “Rainbow” because she often wore brightly
colored clothes. Vice President Dick Cheney loved to fish. He
went by the code name “Angler,” which is another word for
a fisherman.
Even people whom the Secret Service does not
protect get names. The singer Frank Sinatra was a friend
of President Kennedy. The Secret Service called him
“Napoleon,” after the French general.
As for President Obama, his code name is “Renegade,”
and the First Lady is “Renaissance.” Their daughters, Malia
and Sasha, are “Radiance” and “Rosebud.”

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agents (n.)

people, such as spies, guards, or
investigators, who have been given
the authority to act on behalf of a
government (p. 4)

assassinated (v.)

killed by a surprise attack (p. 10)

bodyguards (n.)

people whose job is to keep someone
safe (p. 7)

candidates (n.)

people who seek to be elected or chosen
(p. 14)

Congress (n.)

the highest lawmaking body of the U.S.
government, which includes the Senate
and the House of Representatives (p. 9)

democracy (n.)

a form of government that is run by
the people through free and frequent

elections (p. 8)

first lady (n.)

the wife of a head of state (p. 4)

inauguration (n.) a ceremony in which a person is sworn
into office (p. 5)
investigate (v.)

to try to find out facts or information
about something (p. 17)

limousine (n.)

a long, expensive car often driven
by a hired driver (p. 6)

oath (n.)

a formal promise (p. 5)

threats (n.)

statements of intent to cause harm (p. 8)

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The Secret Service

LEVELED BOOK • U

A Reading A–Z Level U Leveled Book
Word Count: 1,579

The Secret
Service
Written by John Perritano

Visit www.readinga-z.com
for thousands of books and materials.

www.readinga-z.com